Richards: Friendship `wasn't salvageable'

June 13, 2006

Denise Richards has spoken out for the first time about her relationship with Richie Sambora--and the reports that she betrayed her "best friend," Sambora's estranged wife, Heather Locklear, People.com reports.

"The thing with Heather, that's been hard," she told "Entertainment Tonight" in an interview that aired Monday night. "You know you can't help who you fall for and that friendship, unfortunately, was done and wasn't salvageable."

Richards, 35, was in Las Vegas Friday night to emcee a performance by the Pussycat Dolls when she spoke with "ET."

In the interview, she insists that her relationship with Sambora, 46, which began shortly after Locklear filed for divorce from the Bon Jovi guitarist, was "the last thing I was looking for," adding, "it's true when they say things happen when you least expect it."

In terms of her relationship with Locklear, Richards says they were never best friends, as has been reported. "You know, she wasn't my best friend," Richards said. "She was a close friend in the last couple of years. I hadn't known her my whole life."

Still, Richards said, "[It's] been tough having people think that I'm such a crappy friend."

She also insisted that Sambora and Locklear's marriage was over--as was her own union with Charlie Sheen--before she and Sambora got together. "We didn't meddle in marriages and anything like that."

The recent events have changed Richards profoundly, she told "ET."

"I was always a people pleaser and I just finally got to the point in my life after having my daughters and going through a really ugly divorce ... I've just gotten to the point where life is so short and I just want to be happy," she said.

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The Personals page was compiled by Cheryl Bowles from Tribune news services and staff reports.